Ireland - Broadband Market - Overview, Statistics & Forecasts

Synopsis

Ireland’s broadband market is under-developed by European standards, although government efforts to improve local loop unbundling and wholesale access has meant that growth, albeit from a relatively low base, has been strong during the last two years. Low penetration has partly been due to high wholesale costs, lack of competition, high retail prices, and limited coverage in many non-urban areas. The proposed structural separation of eircom could have been a catalyst for rapid development in this market, but the global financial crisis affecting eircom’s parent company, and its sale in November 2009, suspended further progress. This report profiles Ireland’s fixed and wireless broadband markets in 2010, together with developments in related technologies such as FttH, powerline broadband, wireless and mobile broadband, WiFi and Internet via satellite. It also provides forecasts for broadband uptake to 2019.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Overview
  
  • 2.1 Broadband statistics
    
    • 2.1.1 Delivering access
      
  • 2.2 National Development Plan to 2013
    
    • 2.2.1 National Broadband Scheme
      
    • 2.2.2 Next Generation Broadband (NGB) – 2009
      
  • 2.3 Promoting broadband
    
  • 2.4 Government networks
    
  • 2.5 Other providers
    
  • 2.6 Government support
    
  • 2.7 EU support
    
  • 2.8 Regional infrastructure
    
  • 2.9 Wholesale bitstream
    
• 3. Cable modems
  
• 4. Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
  
  • 4.1 Alternative operators
    
  • 4.2 ADSL2+
    
• 5. Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH) networks
  
• 6. Broadband Powerline (BPL)
  
• 7. Mobile broadband
  
• 8. Wireless broadband
  
  • 8.1 1.7GHz band
    
  • 8.2 10.5GHz band
    
  • 8.3 3.5GHz band
    
  • 8.4 Other spectrum
    
  • 8.5 Digiweb
    
  • 8.6 National Fixed Wireless Point to Multipoint Licences (FWPMA)
    
    • 8.6.1 26GHz band
      
  • 8.7 Other developments
    
  • 8.8 Other bands
    
  • 8.9 WiFi
    
  • 8.10 Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access (WiMAX)
    
  • 8.11 WiFibre
    
  • 8.12 Internet via satellite
    
    • 8.12.1 SchoolSat
      
• 9. Forecasts – broadband subscribers – 2009 - 2012; 2019
  
  • 9.1 Scenario 1 – higher broadband subscriber growth
    
  • 9.2 Scenario 2 – lower broadband subscriber growth
    
  • 9.3 Notes on scenario forecasts
    
• 10. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Broadband penetration by technology – 2006 - 2009
• Table 2 – Dial-up Internet subscribers – 2005 - 2009
• Table 3 – Total Internet users – 2005 - 2009
• Table 4 – Total broadband subscribers by access type – 2002 - 2010
• Table 5 – Internet share by platform – 2004 - 2009
• Table 6 – Broadband and Internet annual change by platform – 2007 - 2009
• Table 7 – Share of total broadband market by operator platform – 2004 - 2009
• Table 8 – Market share of fixed broadband subscriptions by operator – 2008 - 2009
• Table 9 – Proportion of DSL access by type – 2004 - 2009
• Table 10 – Proportion of broadband connections by data speed – 2008 - 2009
• Table 11 – UPC Ireland subscribers – 2006 - 2009
• Table 12 – UPC Ireland revenue – 2006 - 2009
• Table 13 – DSL access provision by type and operator – 2002 - 2009
• Table 14 – eircom’s ADSL lines – 2004 - 2009
• Table 15 – Mobile broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2010
• Table 16 – Mobile broadband share of all broadband subscribers – 2007 - 2010
• Table 17 – Wireless broadband subscribers – 2005 - 2009
• Table 18 – Wireless hotspots and access points - 2007 - 2009
• Table 19 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – higher market growth scenario– 2009 - 2012; 2019
• Table 20 – Forecast fixed-line broadband subscribers – lower market growth scenario – 2009 - 2012; 2019